Man Utd search for new Head of Football Operations

MANCHESTER UNITED are recruiting for the new role of Head of Football Operations to oversee the Aon Training Complex.

The successful candidate - who executive recruitment firm Nolan Partners are helping to find - will be responsible for medical services, sport science, travel, kit, player care and analysis.

He or she will report directly to Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward and will line manage Rebecca Britain, who recently replaced John Alexander as club secretary. However, this is NOT a Sporting Director role, which United have been widely linked with, because the incumbent will not oversee player recruitment or the Academy.

Instead, they will ‘liaise’ with manager Jose Mourinho, who will remain ultimately responsible for transfers, Academy manager Nicky Butt and Head of Football Development John Murtough.

As such, the role is more in line with that of David Harrison's at Everton (he is the Head of Football Operations at Goodison), than Stuart Webber's at Norwich. Sporting Director Webber is truly in charge of all aspects of the football side of the business at Carrow Road.

The United role will be to “ensure the effective and efficient delivery of first-class football services” at the club and to deliver a "world-class infrastructure and environment for the senior and youth teams.”

They will oversee the Aon Training Complex, which was completed in 2013 and contains £13 million worth of equipment from Toshiba Medical Systems. The successful candidate will also need to have “experience dealing with groups of multi-national coaches and players.”

Britain started her role at United last month, having been the football secretary at Tottenham for 18 years.

EXPERT ANALYSIS

"In my opinion, United still need a Sporting Director. That means someone with the experience and profile to deliver across the broad function of the role. This includes finding the next generation of young talent and luring high-profile players ready for the first team. This would be one of the biggest jobs in the game, protecting the footballing future of a massive club."

She is only the sixth secretary at Old Trafford since 1926 and the first female to hold the title. Alexander, who retired last September, had been in post for seven years, having also joined from Spurs.